This Thursday marks the start of the Challenge de Cádiz at the Iberostar Real Golf Novo Sancti Petri. It will be the second event of the Hotel PlannerTour in Spain in just 20 days. An event, by the way, that is starting to gain prestige. It’s no wonder, as this is the fifth edition of the tournament, always held on the same course and with the same name. This is how great initiatives take root. With continuity. And the players are delighted. Because there isn’t a single one who doesn’t openly admit that it’s the best stop of the year on the tour. Let’s not forget that just a week ago in Denmark, players even experienced hail while playing. The weather won’t be a problem for enjoying La Barrosa this week, one of the best beaches in Spain. What happens on the golf course, however, is another matter…
The weather is set to be a protagonist. On Thursday and Friday, the wind will blow, a lot of wind. In abundance. Generously. Gusts between 40 and 45 kilometres per hour are expected. A serious factor that will influence the course of the tournament over the next 48 hours. The Real Novo de Sancti Petri is not an easy course, and it becomes much fiercer when the wind appears. Firstly, because it is next to the beach and, therefore, there are areas that are very exposed. Secondly, because there are nine holes, especially from 10 to 18, that run between gigantic pine trees that often play tricks when gauging intensity. “This week, the compass is what counts,” says Alejandro Aguilera. The Madrid golfer from the Club de Campo refers to the fact that you can’t trust the sensation you might have on your face when you’re about to hit a shot, as the air travels between trees and houses and can change direction below and be completely different above.
Basically, what is expected is a good dose of levante, which will significantly complicate things, although the HotelPlanner Tour has everything planned, and some tees will be moved forward. For example, the tee on hole 17. With the wind against, it becomes an endless, inhumane par 4. Considering also that we are at sea level and the ball flies less. The greens, at least, are not as hard as they could be before the first round. It’s about finding a balance.
We talked about the weather, the wind, and Alejandro Aguilera, and obviously, we must mention the other great protagonists of this week. They are the Alps boys. The Spaniards who finished last season and have started this one like a rocket. Let’s remember that in 2025 we have seven consecutive victories, seven in eight tournaments played. And last year ended with three wins in the last five tournaments. In other words, the sequence is 10 victories in the last 13 events. Crazy. No wonder they are protagonists.
Of these ten victories by nine different players, we have six in Sancti Petri. They have earned the spotlight. A good proof of this, and as a well-deserved tribute, will be Álvaro Hernández Cabezuela who will hit the first shot of the tournament from the tee of 1 this Thursday. The Canary Islander has won two Alps events this year. “It seems I opened the can, and then everyone followed. It’s something spectacular. I don’t think anything like this has happened in history,” he told Ten Golf. We confirm it.
In addition to Álvaro in that first match of the day, we have in Sancti Petri Rocco Repetto, Asier Aguirre, Javier Barcos, Mario Galiano, and Alejandro Aguilera among the Alps winners in this incredible streak. Only Albert Boneta, who started this incredible sequence last year, Jorge Maicas, and Javier Calles, the last to win silver last week, are missing. Obviously, they are all playing well, and we must count on them, among other things because they really have nothing to lose. Their battle is quite different. A win in Sancti Petri, or a top 10, would be more of a gift than an obligation. They are the Alps boys, and this week we must keep a close eye on them.
